Trump Impeachment News Update: Gordon Sondland Testifies He Was Against Giuliani Involvement In Ukraine

U.S. EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland was expected to say President Trump directed officials to work with Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on matters related to Ukraine in testimony before congressional impeachment investigators Thursday.

The hotelier and Trump campaign contributor also is attempting to distance himself from Trump efforts to get Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, saying he thought it was “wrong” to involve a foreign country in U.S. politics.

A phone call Trump made to Zelensky July 25 is at the heart of the impeachment inquiry. During that call, made just days after Trump froze military aid to the country, Trump asked Zelensky for a “favor” involving an investigation of Biden and his son, Hunter.

In opening remarks,Sondland, who arrived at the Capitol at 9:30 a.m., was expected to say diplomats were disappointed by the president’s instructions.

"We were also disappointed by the president’s direction that we involve Mr. Giuliani. Our view was that the men and women of the State Department, not the President’s personal lawyer, should take responsibility for all aspects of U.S. foreign policy towards Ukraine," the remarks read.

"However, based on the president’s direction, we were faced with a choice: We could abandon the goal of a White House meeting for President Zelensky, which we all believed was crucial to strengthening U.S.-Ukrainian ties and furthering long-held U.S. foreign policy goals in the region; or we could do as President Trump directed and talk to Mr. Giuliani to address the president’s concerns."

The remarks describe Sondland as against any Ukraine investigation of Biden.

“Inviting a foreign government to undertake investigations for the purpose of influencing an upcoming U.S. election would be wrong. Withholding foreign aid in order to pressure a foreign government to take such steps would be wrong,” the remarks say.

The testimony conflicts with accounts given by other witnesses who described Sondland as a willing participant in efforts to initiate an investigation into unsubstantiated allegations of corruption involving Biden’s son’s position on the board of Ukraine energy company Burisma.

The testimony comes a week after the White House initially sought to block Sondland from appearing. Text messages from Sondland released two weeks ago indicated he was aware he was operating in a gray area.

“Please know that I would not have recommended that Mr. Giuliani or any private citizen be involved in these foreign policy matters,” he planned to say. “However, given the president’s explicit direction, as well as the importance we attached to arranging a White House meeting between Presidents Trump and Zelensky, we agreed to do as President Trump directed.”

He was to say he was not aware until recently of Hunter Biden’s connection to Burisma.

The testimony comes just hours after the death of Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., a vociferous Trump critic. He will be replaced by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y., as acting chair until a vote on a permanent leader is taken.

Trump has scheduled a 7 p.m. CDT political rally in Texas during which he is expected to air his grievances about the impeachment inquiry, which he has labeled unconstitutional. He also is pushing a House resolution to censure House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff for his handling of the investigation.